News

New energy centre and cooled packing facility for leading salads production site

A modern new energy centre and cooled packing facility which have been designed, built and installed by CambridgeHOK are set to help a leading salads grower increase production, reduce running costs and lower its carbon footprint.

Our teams have completed the design, build and installation of a new combined heat and power (CHP) energy centre for client P3P, at its large greenhouse facility in Selby, North Yorkshire.

We have also built a new packing centre on the site, which cools harvested foods from 25C to 10C when packed and stored, ensuring they remain in perfect condition before being distributed to supermarkets and shops.

The projects, which have been completed in just over 12 months, are expected to bring major benefits to national food producer APS Salads, which is based at the site producing Tomatoes.

The energy centre not only generates enough power to heat the huge glasshouses on site, but generates excess electricity for P3P to sell back to the national grid.

Firm are leaders in glasshouses and commercial growing industry

This project will ensure APS Salads' running costs are reduced due through greater energy efficiency, whilst CO2 from the gas power is being redirected to the greenhouses to improve crop production and yield, whilst also reducing the amount of CO2 entering the environment.

"We are very proud of the work we have done for these two customers as we have helped transform this large site into an incredibly efficient operation all round, from energy production and crop growth to the very best packaging and storage facilities," said CambridgeHOK director Ross Hibbs.

"We have installed what is a true co-generation energy centre, providing a complete turnkey solution for the site owners P3P, generating not only heat and power but making positive use of the CO2 by directing it back to the glasshouses to improve crop yield for their tenants, APS Salads.."

"It will bring major benefits to both landlord and tenant and that is really pleasing from our point of view."

"This project shows how we are able to deliver complete, bespoke solutions that fits exactly what customers need due to our expertise in engineering, energy, construction and glasshouse operation. We are able to offer consultancy and advice, and then deliver."

"The previous glasshouse were being powered by an inefficient old boiler plant we which decommissioned and replaced, producing heat much more efficiently and also generating an excess of energy to that which is required by the glasshouses."

The full project, from concept to completion, took just over 12 months, with CambridgeHOK predicting the new system could boost crop yields by up to 30 per cent.

The new specially designed and built packhouse and cold store will ensure APS Salads has the ideal environment to pack and store grown produce in thousands at any one time, as it awaits collection for delivery to customers.

All harvested crop is cooled from 25C to 10C at the correct rate to avoid condensation formation on the surface of the produce, and to prevent any deterioration in quality.

Back to news